Stands Scotland where it did?

This month, which sees the completion of another major historical dictionary, the unique and remarkable Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue, we look at some of the Scottish items in our Quotations database.

There is expectably a strong literary representation. The 15th-century poet and priest William Dunbar, in his poem "Lament for the Makaris" (a "makar", or maker, is a poet), lists many Scots among the dead poets he enumerates as well as "The noble Chaucer, of makaris flour". From the 18th century, Robert Burns and Walter Scott make a strong showing. Burns's writing includes some very familiar phrases: the field-mouse, the "wee, sleekit, cow'rin, tim'rous beastie", the refrain of "auld lang syne", heard today at many New Year parties, and his address to the haggis, "Great chieftain o' the puddin'race!" Scott, originally a poet "(O! Caledonia, stern and wild"), later turned successfully to novel-writing... annoying Jane Austen, who commented tartly, "Walter Scott has no business to write novels, especially good ones... It is not fair... He has fame and profit enough as a poet, and should not be taking bread out of other people's mouths." (Another writer, Byron, telling his own publisher not to send him any more reviews, saw good reason for admiring Scott's strength or mind: "Walter Scott has not read a review of himself for thirteen years.")

Many of the most striking Scottish quotations, however, are political. In the 14th century the Scottish Parliament, asserting the independence of Scotland, said in the Declaration of Arbroath that, "It is not glory, it is not riches, neither is it honour, but it is freedom alone that we fight and contend for, which no honest man will lose but with his life." The Act of Union, signed in 1706, apparently put an end to Scotland's separate political existence: "Now there's ane end of ane old song," said the Scottish Lord Chancellor, James Ogilvy, as he affixed his signature. But Ogilvy could not see down the centuries to 12 May 1999 in the newly constituted Scottish Parliament, when Winifred Ewing, opening the debate as the oldest member, declared, "The Scottish Parliament which adjourned on 25 March in the year 1707 is hereby reconvened.

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